Shopsmith Forums

RFGuy wrote: ↑Thu Dec 21, 2023 3:59 pm
Yeah, it really is non-sensical to me. I know we have discussed this topic before on this forum. In just about every industry, every manufacturer has product manuals online and often in pdf format. I really don't understand what Shopsmith thinks they accomplish by NOT making them available to ALL owners for free in this manner on their website. Just from a product liability and fending off litigation standpoint, manuals should be as easily accessible and free to all owners, whether they bought a Shopsmith product direct from the manufacturer or from the used market. Readily available product manuals can save lives and digits so it is in their best interest to make them free and easily accessible to all.

To be clear, my real problem was the 40 day wait for this manual. If I received a bound printed manual such as was typical for other devices I would not mind the cost, but a .pdf doesn't justify the cost or the wait time at all. For other documentation, I would like to receive something better than a copy with barely discernable pictures that is occasionally provided with products, and certainly don't want to pay for that.

We pay a lot for parts from Shopsmith but in conjunction with the manuals and online technical information it is worth it to maintain the machines and keep the company in business. But when I buy a product and pay the associated high price I also expect a certain level of quality based on the cost, and well written, readable documentation is part of that.

delong94 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 21, 2023 4:11 pm I ordered some drum sander sleeves that were on sale recently during their Black Friday sale along with a shaper insert for my table. Both were sent to an address I used about 10 years ago when I was still in the military...Apparently a glitch in their new system. Customer service eventually sent out a replacement to my current address.

I have some sympathy for them going through changes in their computer systems. We all need some patience, but they could also be handling it better. In my case I was told twice that the manual would be sent out the next day but nothing was done. They need some way to track customer service calls and make sure there is follow up. I suspect they are overwhelmed right now with process and policy changes though. Hopefully they can improve matters in the near future.

edma194 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 21, 2023 4:13 pm To be clear, my real problem was the 40 day wait for this manual. If I received a bound printed manual such as was typical for other devices I would not mind the cost, but a .pdf doesn't justify the cost or the wait time at all. For other documentation, I would like to receive something better than a copy with barely discernable pictures that is occasionally provided with products, and certainly don't want to pay for that.

We pay a lot for parts from Shopsmith but in conjunction with the manuals and online technical information it is worth it to maintain the machines and keep the company in business. But when I buy a product and pay the associated high price I also expect a certain level of quality based on the cost, and well written, readable documentation is part of that.

Ed,

Thanks. Sorry, I wasn't clear. Yes, I agree with you 100%. Quality printed manuals should come with all equipment. I was just pointing out that it makes no sense that they don't ALSO have online pdf manuals for all of their tools available for free.

delong94 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 21, 2023 4:11 pm I ordered some drum sander sleeves that were on sale recently during their Black Friday sale along with a shaper insert for my table. Both were sent to an address I used about 10 years ago when I was still in the military...Apparently a glitch in their new system. Customer service eventually sent out a replacement to my current address.

They may have updated the website, but I really don't think they have updated their order processing system which is archaic. This has been discussed before on the forum and I am not the only one to observe this issue with them. I never received a product at the wrong address, but I fell off their printed catalog mail list for years. Finally I asked them about it on the phone (in hopes of fixing this), while I was sorting out an order issue a couple of years ago, and they told me that they had two records for me in their system. One was my original house address that I bought my Mark V for and they also had a new address for where I moved to years later. They told me point blank they can NOT merge account records. I think they said all they could do is put a note in there indicating which one was the current account. I believe I asked if they could delete the old account record and I don't remember what was discussed but they were reluctant or unable to delete the old account for some reason. For sure, if you have moved and perhaps have more than one account with Shopsmith because of this you should be aware of this and track your orders like a hawk. Until Shopsmith upgrades to a more modern order processing software system, this will continue to happen as has been reported previously on this forum, though it is happening again to some of you now.

admin wrote: ↑Mon Dec 18, 2023 6:19 pm I am testing a page to show order history (requires that the person is logged into the new website and has verified their email address).
If you'd like to help test it, the link is https://shopsmith.com/order-history

Thanks

To say that the list is complete will require some cross checking with my receipts but it looks GOOD. Thank you very much.

dusty wrote: ↑Thu Dec 21, 2023 5:56 pm

admin wrote: ↑Mon Dec 18, 2023 6:19 pm I am testing a page to show order history (requires that the person is logged into the new website and has verified their email address).
If you'd like to help test it, the link is https://shopsmith.com/order-history

Thanks

To say that the list is complete will require some cross checking with my receipts but it looks GOOD. Thank you very much.

The list is definitely not complete. It is lacking the early years of my woodworking experience; lacking all of my initial Shopsmith purchases in the mid-late eighties. All of my "high dollar" expenses.

dusty wrote: ↑Fri Dec 22, 2023 11:03 am

dusty wrote: ↑Thu Dec 21, 2023 5:56 pm

admin wrote: ↑Mon Dec 18, 2023 6:19 pm I am testing a page to show order history (requires that the person is logged into the new website and has verified their email address).
If you'd like to help test it, the link is https://shopsmith.com/order-history

Thanks

To say that the list is complete will require some cross checking with my receipts but it looks GOOD. Thank you very much.

The list is definitely not complete. It is lacking the early years of my woodworking experience; lacking all of my initial Shopsmith purchases in the mid-late eighties. All of my "high dollar" expenses.

My list starts in 2011. I don't know when I last ordered anything before that but it may have been back in the 90s, at a different address.

Every order from 11/24/2020 on is listed twice in a row on the order history page.

My order list now goes back to 2013 and from 2018 until now has them double listed.

My order list goes clear back to '94, but as has been already noted, from 2018 on every order is posted twice. 29 years worth of orders...makes a pretty impressive string of orders, even when the doubled ones are removed. I don't think I want to add them all up.

Data migration stinks. Definitely not what I want to do when I grow up.

It is not the migration that 'stinks'. It is the lack of planning by those implementing the migration that stinks.